Missouri flooding Governor Matt Blunt’s request for Expedited Federal Disaster Assistance for 70 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis, which have been affected by flooding and severe weather, has been approved by President Bush.

Before the federal assistance can be made available for individuals and businesses, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) will conduct damage assessments. They expect to begin the assessments next week after the floodwaters have receded.

Examples of direct federal assistance to Missouri include U.S. Coast Guard helicopters for water rescue operations and the Corps of Engineers for sandbags and technical assistance.